This guide clarifies the confusion around the printer's White and Varnish options and how ink layering works in your printing jobs.
Printing Mode and Layers
The printing mode you select affects how many layers you can print:
- Quality-Layered Mode. Allows for up to 3 layers:
- All Other Modes: Only a single layer is possible.
Regardless of the number of layers, you can assign each layer to a specific ink or a combination of inks, offering flexibility in your printing options.
Layer Options Explained
In Quality-Layered Mode, the user interface will present the following options:
- CMYK: Prints the color data as defined in your job.
- Spot White: Prints the white data generated by CalderaRIP. This does not need to come from a specific Spot color; it can be a "Full Page Coverage" as well. The term "Spot" indicates that the white is part of your job rather than generated by the printer.
- Flood Fill White Drop #n: This option instructs the printer to generate a uniform white at 100%, ignoring the white data sent by the driver. If your image lacks a natural source of white (like a Spot color or extra layer), you must either set an artificial source (e.g., Full Page Coverage) or enable "Generate if empty." Without this, no white information will be sent for that layer. Note that there's minimal difference between selecting "Full Page Coverage" at around 60% and "Flood Fill Drop #4." The first option mixes other drop sizes, while the second uses only drop #n.
- Empty: No printing occurs for this layer.
Varnish Options
The varnish options are slightly more complex, especially for printers equipped with Varnish capabilities. In some cases, the options are related to the printers firmware.
Let's take a look at the varnish options. The Oce models refer to them as "Varnish," while the Acuity models refer to them as "Clear":
The first four options historically available allow you to print a varnish layer in High Gloss mode. This involves multiple steps:
- Print color layers (up to 3).
- Apply the varnish layer on top, requiring additional passes for primer, varnish, and curing.
You have the option to either use the varnish settings from CalderaRIP or employ a Flood Fill option generated by the printer.
The fifth option, "Use in Regular Layer(s)," is a new feature introduced in recent firmware updates. It lets you utilize the varnish generated by CalderaRIP in the regular layers. Keep in mind that the user interface may show the Varnish option in the White layer choices even if this setting is not selected, which is a known issue.
Returning to the White options, with the new firmware, you can choose Varnish for each layer, whether from CalderaRIP or a Flood Fill, allowing for greater versatility in your prints.
Important Note
The effects of using Varnish in regular layers differ significantly from those in High Gloss mode due to the absence of primer and different curing processes. Its application is ideal for creating 3D effects.
Conclusion
The available choices for each layer remain consistent regardless of whether you are using one or three layers. While the job format permits diverse combinations (e.g., printing Cyan and White together), we've streamlined the user interface to keep CMYK inks together for simplicity.
If you have any further questions or need assistance with specific options, please consult your manufacturer's documentation or reach out to support.